Family and Preventative Medicine Department, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, United States.
Complement Ther Med. 2010 Dec;18(6):241-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2010.09.007.
To evaluate the effect of ethnicity as a predictor of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with diabetes.
A 16-item questionnaire investigating CAM use was distributed among patients attending the Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) educational conferences during 2004-2006. Six TCOYD were held across the United States. Information of diabetes status and sociodemographic data was collected. CAM use was identified as pharmacologic (herbs and vitamins) and nonpharmacologic CAMs (e.g., prayer, yoga, and acupuncture).
The prevalence of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic CAMs among 806 participants with diabetes patients was 81.9% and 80.3%, respectively. Overall, CAM prevalence was similar for Caucasians (94.2%), African Americans (95.5%), Hispanics (95.6%) and Native Americans (95.2%) and lower in Pacific Islanders/others (83.9%) and Asians (87.8%). Pharmacologic CAM prevalence was positively associated with education (p=0.001). The presence of diabetes was a powerful predictor of CAM use. Several significant ethnic differences were observed in specific forms of CAM use. Hispanics reported using frequently prickly pear (nopal) to complement their diabetes treatment while Caucasians more commonly used multivitamins.
Treatment with CAM widely used in persons with diabetes. Ethnic group differences determine a variety of practices, reflecting groups' cultural preferences. Future research is needed to clarify the perceived reasons for CAM use among patients with diabetes in clinical practice and the health belief system associated with diabetes by ethnic group.
评估种族作为预测糖尿病患者使用补充和替代医学（CAM）的因素的效果。
在 2004-2006 年期间，向参加“控制糖尿病”（TCOYD）教育会议的患者分发了一份包含 16 个问题的调查问卷，以调查 CAM 的使用情况。TCOYD 在美国各地举办了六次。收集了糖尿病状况和社会人口统计学数据。CAM 的使用被确定为药物（草药和维生素）和非药物 CAM（例如，祈祷、瑜伽和针灸）。
在 806 名糖尿病患者中，药物和非药物 CAM 的患病率分别为 81.9%和 80.3%。总体而言，白种人（94.2%）、非裔美国人（95.5%）、西班牙裔（95.6%）和美洲原住民（95.2%）的 CAM 患病率相似，而太平洋岛民/其他人（83.9%）和亚洲人（87.8%）的 CAM 患病率较低。药物 CAM 的患病率与教育程度呈正相关（p=0.001）。糖尿病的存在是 CAM 使用的有力预测因素。在特定形式的 CAM 使用方面观察到了一些显著的种族差异。西班牙裔人经常报告使用仙人掌（nopal）来补充他们的糖尿病治疗，而白种人则更常使用多种维生素。
CAM 在糖尿病患者中广泛使用。种族群体差异决定了各种实践，反映了群体的文化偏好。需要进一步的研究来阐明在临床实践中糖尿病患者使用 CAM 的感知原因以及与种族相关的糖尿病健康信念体系。
